Entity, The - Atari 2600
About This Game
Get ready to test your precision in Entity, a unique and rare entry in the Atari 2600 library. This title stands out because it is an unreleased prototype, created by Mark Klein for Fox Video Games, a division of 20th Century Fox. While you cannot find this game on store shelves from the early 1980s, it has survived as a fascinating piece of gaming history that players can enjoy today.
The experience is quite different from standard Atari titles. Instead of running around a maze or shooting enemies, your goal is deceptively simple: guide a ball of light into a hole. To do this, you control two tennis racket-like objects positioned on either side of the screen. Your primary task is to use these rackets to hit the moving ball, keeping it in play and directing its path toward the target.
What makes this game challenging is the physics of the light ball. It moves with a momentum that requires careful timing and anticipation. You cannot just wait for the ball to come to you; you must actively intercept it with your rackets. If you miss, the ball may drift out of reach or bounce in an unpredictable direction, making it harder to regain control. The tension comes from watching the light trace its path across the screen and trying to predict where it will go next.
The atmosphere is influenced by the fact that this game was based on a horror movie of the same name. Although the graphics are limited to the classic Atari 2600 style, the concept of guiding a glowing orb through darkness evokes a sense of mystery and suspense. You are essentially playing with light itself, trying to keep it from fading away or escaping your control.
Mark Klein was not only responsible for this prototype but also programmed other unreleased titles for Fox Video Games, such as Pick Up and Look Ahead. This adds to the intrigue of Entity, The, as it represents a specific era when movie studios were experimenting with video game adaptations before they became a mainstream industry standard.
Playing this game feels like solving a moving puzzle. There is no complex story to follow or inventory to manage. The focus is entirely on hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. As you play, you will find yourself getting into a rhythm, learning how the ball reacts when hit by different parts of your rackets. It is a satisfying challenge that rewards patience and precision. A related page worth opening after this one is Entity, especially if you want another nearby game from the same series.
Since this is an unreleased prototype, the physical cartridges, boxes, and manuals seen today are reproductions from 2003, created with permission from Mark Klein. This means that playing it online allows you to experience the game exactly as the programmer intended, without the wear and tear of a decades-old cartridge.
Whether you are an Atari enthusiast or just looking for something different, Entity, The offers a fresh take on arcade-style gameplay. It is short, intense, and focused entirely on the core mechanic of guiding the light. Give it a try and see if you can master the art of keeping the ball in play. You can also try more Atari 2600 games from the same system.